The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1887-03-05
DOUBLE HOMICIDE IN SNAKE
VALLEY

1
John Green. Then Exchanges Shots
with HE stspsOn, Dslbsrt Hickman
The Boy Gets Away with the Old
Man.
Last Saturday meagre reports reach
ed here of u bloody tragedy at Ketch-
um's ranch in Snake Valley, in which
the principals were said to be l..
Ketchum, Johnny Green and Delbert
Hickman, an 18.year-old stepson of
Ketchum. Ketchum was q we'll to. do
rancher in the valley, just across the
line in Utah, and was well and favor-
ably known all through this section.
Johnny Green, the victim of his anger,
has been long time resident of this
county, and worked on the Eureka and
Phoebe stage line many years. Green
worked on the Ketcbum ranch lately,
but had been paid off and warned by
Ketchum to keep away from the
premises, from which it is inferred
there must have been some domestic
that bad feeling had fer some time ex-
lsted between the boy Hockman and
his stepfather, the former thinking the
latter was mismanaging and appro-
priating to his own use the product
of the ranch, which would (by will of
their father become the property of
Oslbert and a younger brother when
they became of age. There are those
who know all the circumstances who
aver that this feeling on the part of
the boy was more imaginary than real;
that Ketchum, since he married the
Widow Hickman had greatly i'm
proved the place and added much to
its value in improvements and thor
bred stock. The following account
of the bloody affray is furnished us
by correspondent who visited the
the scene the day after its occurrence:
OsCEoLA. March |, 1887.
Ed. WHITE PINE NEWS: | have
Just returned from the battlefield at
Ketchums ranch in Snake Valley, but
while there everything was in such
confusion that could not get all the
particulars OF this terrible affair; but
learned this much Ketchum arrived
at the ranch Thursday night about 10
o'clock and campcd in an Old house,
about half mile from the family
residence, and stayed there until about
daylight Friday morning Feb. 25).
lie then came up and hid himself in
the stable and waited for John +.
Green To come to the stable tn feed
the stock, aud when Green came
Ketchum stepped out in front of him
with Il repeating shot gun aud poured
"A volley of buckslot INTO his breast.
Green turned Ia run. when kctchum
shot him again in the back, killing
him instantly.
The firing brought at Delbert
Hickman, siepson OF kctehum.
from the room occupied hy him and
Green the night previous lie came
with pistol in hand and he and
ketchum commenced shooting 100
yards apart. In this fucilade neither
one was hurt, though the boy had sew
eral buckshot holes through his coat
sleeve and one cut the skin. Delbert
then dropped his pistol, ran into the
house, got n Winchester rifle, and COM
ing out the shooting was resumed.
Keichum was shot in the bowels. and
fell, but not before he fired several
more shots ut The boy with a pistol.
1t seems the shot gun would not work
any more, AS they found two loaded
shells that were defective on the
ground, which Ketchum had thorwn
out of his gun. He lived for 81
hours after the fatal shot, was rational
to the last, but died in great suffering.
Each claimed that the other shot first,
and they were acting in self-defense.
Ketchum was about SO years and well
known all over the Pacific coast The
boy is IS years old, and has the repu-
tation of being very quiet and in.
dustrous young mau.
Sheriff John Turner, of Provo, Utah,
arrived at the ranch Sunday morning
with q deputy and took Delbert Hook
man and the dead bodies with him
to Frisco. Green's remains will be
sent to Salt Lake, and Ketchum's will
be kept till his brother arrives. Thus
briefly told il one of the most tragic
dramas that ever occurred among the